Perfection at All Costs
by Crazy Hetalia
Summary: What happens when you go against everything you've been brought up to be, all because of one certain person changing your view? Rated M because language, and the usual with my stories. I do not own Hetalia, and enjoy


**AAaaaaaaand a new story for this list. I just LOVE this idea and I'm into this kinda stuff so I'm hoping I got a few people who also are kinda into this stuff. I'm trying to make chapters longer now, so yup. ENJOY~**

"I told you to get ready, Arthur! It's almost time to leave!"

Ugh.

"Yes, mother, I know!" Arthur grumbled back to his mother. He hated having to go to school; he was only allowed to learn one certain topic anyways. As he got dressed in his uniform, a plain dark blue button up with matching slacks and shoes, he kept telling himself that it was good to go there. After his eighteenth birthday, he'll have to meet his mate that the Elite's have chosen for him, and then he'd be released from the school for the marriage about a year later and for his chosen job. The Elites…he never questioned them. They are the ones that choose when you are born, what you eat, who your mate is and when you have children, even choose how long you live. Arthur never has to think for himself, because they tell him what to think, and he is supposed to be grateful for all they have done for our province and how much order there is. No violence or wars, like in the thousand years before the Elites were created. The Unmentionable Times is what they call it. All the people back then were horrible, being able to make choices, which meant mostly horrible conclusions. Being able to wear what they want, be who they want, that is what caused most of people to be outcasts and hated.

Everything is perfect, no one can judge what you wear because they wear the same, and no one can judge how you look because everyone looks perfect. Not the same, but perfect and beautiful. That is how things should be, and how they are now. That makes a perfect society and a perfect life for everyone. Everything is perfect.

After getting dressed rather fast, Arthur hurried to the kitchen table to eat his breakfast of nutrient rich plain oatmeal. It isn't about taste; it's only about health. No desserts or good tasting food unless on special occasions like birthdays or the feast during which you meet your chosen mate. Feasts are rare, and there are no holidays, and so it is always a happy time when you get to eat something good for once.

Finishing the meal, he hurried out of the door and walked down to the station. A small red light next to the rail lit up, meaning the speed-train was coming. When the transportation arrived, he stepped on and sat down at a seat. There wasn't much to do in the train until it arrives at his stop, and so he took the liberty of looking out the window at the nice spring simulated weather. We are all safe in the city dome, but outside of it is complete wilderness, where there is no order, where all the dangerous people go. No one inside the dome knows what it looks like out there, unless they were allowed up the highest hill near the edge of the wall, but no one's ever been there.

"Hello?" Arthur was pulled out of his thoughts as someone spoke to him. Great, it's the rebel of the neighborhood Alfred. Arthur tried his hardest not to make a face at him, because it would be rude to do that without reason. "Can I sit next to you? There aren't any other seats open." Alfred awkwardly smiled as Arthur just looked at him without the slightest interest.

"Fine, you may." Arthur replied, and then went back to looking out of the window. After a moment he saw out of the corner of his eye that Alfred was looking at him. He sighed and looked at him back, crossing his arms. "Why are you looking at me? It's weird."

"Well, I couldn't help it, the way you looked just then was…" he took a moment to think of a good word to describe it, "…beautiful." He finished simply, and smiled again.

That must have caught Arthur off guard, because he flushed red and looked at him surprised. He started to stutter, "I-I did not! And you shouldn't be saying that to anyone but the person you'll be promised to…" mutters, "...idiot rebel..."

Alfred only laughed at his face, "Why are you getting so worked up over a simple word? It was a compliment!" his smile grew wider. Oh how Arthur hated it when that guy would unexpectedly say weird things, and then smile as if nothing happened. The nerve!

Arthur only huffed and looked back out the window, ignoring him until they both had to get off at their stop. Arthur walked ahead of him as they approached the school and they went their separate ways once they were inside.

.。.:*・°

Today. Today is the day Arthur will meet his ideal future wife. But he wasn't happy as he thought he'd be when he was little.

He was told of being matched at birth with someone of the highest ideal gene pool as him, of course explained much more simply to a small child, and he thought he'd be bursting with joy when the day came. He thought wrong though, because he was actually nervous about meeting someone he'll end up having to be with for the rest of his life, but also surprisingly unhappy. He wasn't supposed to be unhappy, his parents told him it was love at first sight for them, and it would be the same for everyone else. Everyone is to be happy with who they are to be with, but not him.

"I am so excited for you to meet her! It'll be love at first sight, just like us!" his mother said, and hugged her husbands arm and smiled happily. Arthur never really got what were the similarities with his father and him. He only had his eyebrows, in which they both would beat up an Officer if they tried to trim them. The Officers weren't policemen, like those many years ago, they were Officers of certain departments that ensured certain things with keeping people in order, or how they looked, acted, and where they would work. They are the scary, strict ones among the citizens. You know which is which by the uniforms they wear, the pure white clothing among the dark blue of the students and the velvet red of the adults.

But since today is a special day for Arthur, he was allowed to choose a different color for his silky special occasion clothing. He of course chose an emerald green, since it brings out his green eyes. He looked at himself in the mirror of the place, and softly smiled to himself at how good it looked on him. The way the silky material moved with him, how his blouse looked like one you would find on a fancy pirate in a children's book, the sleeves that were tight around the wrists but the rest of the sleeve up to the shoulder was fairly roomy, and the puffy collar was marvelous on him. He looked almost like royalty.

His mother wouldn't stop running a comb through his hair, trying to make it look like it wasn't bedridden, but no matter how hard she tried, she couldn't get his hair to behave. So she gave up and pouted, in which her husband patted her shoulder saying, "It's okay, and it wouldn't make much of a difference, honestly." But she just huffed. That is what is so similar between Arthur and his mother; both of them have a short temper, and can get frustrated with the littlest of things. Don't get him started at how they both also had similar appearances. The same hair color, jaw line, nose, even Arthur's body figure was feminine enough to be similar to hers. But they didn't have the same eye color, neither did he with his father. He inherited the eye color from someone far back in his family, which was a one and a million chance in this society. But it was overlooked, nothing to fret about with the Officers. Not many people have green eyes the way Arthur did; most people had the darker, much plainer green. Arthur's was a beautiful bright emerald color, unlike what anyone has seen in a long while. Whoever was promised to Arthur was a lucky girl. Which now he is reminded of his nervousness, pulling out his handkerchief to dab up the slight sweat on his forehead and sighed.

"Oh, sweetheart, everything will be fine! Don't be nervous, I'm sure everything will turn out fine when you get to speak to her." His mother reassured him, stepping forward and kissing his forehead like the sweet mother she is to him.

He wasn't allowed to go to his other three brothers' matching occasion because he was only supposed to go to his own, and because he was too young, but he could go to another if he had a little sibling. But the Elites limited the offspring to the most four kids. The minimum was one, unless told to have more. He shook the thoughts out of his head, trying to clear his mind so he can focus on how he was going to behave tonight. He doesn't want to make a fool of himself and make a bad impression on his future mating partner.

As they made their way to the courtyard of the main sorting building, sorting as in the type of matching and genetics picking. He met up with his three older brothers, who all snickered at how different Arthur looked from the other men, who mostly wore reds, yellows, or a different shade of blue from their plain clothing. Arthur ignored his brothers, and spotted Alfred in the courtyard as well. He was wearing a different shade of blue, but the way the silk shined on him, and how it moved with his body, Arthur couldn't help but blush as he looked his way and smiled, waving him over.

"I didn't know we were going to be matched on the same day! How funny is that?" Alfred said as Arthur approached him rather slowly, trying to stop himself from blushing even darker. "Hey, is there something wrong with your face? It must be your nerves… heh…"

"Well aren't you happy today? You just can't wait to see the _beautiful_ girl you'll be with, huh?" Arthur said, but then regretted saying it. He sounded…jealous? How could he be jealous of a girl who'll be with Alfred? He's a man. It must just be his nerves making him act strange.

Alfred looked confused for a moment, but then slightly smirked. "Jealous, aren't we~?" he said teasingly, nudging Arthur in the arm with his elbow, in which Arthur slaps the elbow away and crossed his arms.

"How dare you say that? Why would I be jealous of a girl?" Arthur blurted; a light tint of pink on his cheeks.

"Huh? Who said anything about a girl? I thought you were jealous of how awesome I look…" in which Alfred got a light pink on his cheeks as well, looking embarrassed.

Arthur looked at him for a moment, not knowing what to say, until an Officer went up to a stand with a microphone and asked for everyone to sit down in their appropriate seats to eat. Arthur felt relieved to be able to escape from that awkward situation, but he'll probably have to deal with him later. He sat down next to his mother, his father next to her, and his brothers next to Arthur. The trays the waiters brought out emanated a smell of vegetables, fruits, the essential good tasting healthy kinds of food, but also he saw that there were desserts. Beautiful, delicious looking chocolate cake and fruit pies, ice cream with chocolate toppings, everything he was beginning to crave. Arthur wished he could skip the food and go straight for the ice cream, but of course, his parents knew him too well and told him to eat dinner first, then he can stuff his face. As he was eating, he glanced over at the other side of the courtyard where all the women who were to be paired with their mates were, and wondered which one he would be paired with. Most of the women wore silky pink dresses, a few of them red, or the blue. No one picked green, which made Arthur feel more out of place. At least he could feel different, just for tonight.

After everyone finished up the dinner, and most of them stuffed their faces with the desserts, the Officer announced the beginning of the ceremony. The men were called in alphabetical order, and then the girl who was paired with them, in which they both walk up to the Officer to receive the data of the other in their wristbands, say a quick hello, and sit back down. They aren't allowed too much talk, because there will be enough talking when they meet up again a year later for the marriage contracts. Alfred was called and Arthur immediately paid attention to who he was going to be with. As Alfred walked up, another girl walked up as well, his mate. She looked perfect for him, light brown hair, dark green eyes, she even had nice breasts. He heard her name being called, "Elizabeth Héderváry." Even her name sounded beautiful. Arthur will admit to himself, he did feel a tinge of jealously towards her. Not her looks, but how lucky she is to be with Alfred. Alfred was an idiotic rebel and had the attention span of a teaspoon, but he looked marvelous tonight. Two other couples were called up, and then it was his name that was called.

He took a deep breath before standing up and walking purposefully to the Officer. The Officer looked at the digital list of pairs, but paused for a moment. After a bit of the Officer scrolling through his list, people started whispering. Arthur caught a word or two, "mistake" or even a short question like "where is the girl?" then the Officer cleared his throat and asked for silence. That there was an error on the list in which the name was blank for Arthur's pair, but it was now fixed. He called out the name, but it wasn't one he recognized. A girl with bright blond hair and also had hazel eyes walked up. She looked excited and happy, wearing her red dress and smiling at Arthur. But he frowned, it was only for a short moment, but then he put on a smile so she wouldn't notice. The Officer put the data of each other in the wristbands and she said hello to Arthur, in which he nodded in response and went back to his seat. His mother smiled at him, looking proud for him getting someone beautiful, but he just looked at her, and frowned. She got the hint, though, and she patted his shoulder. 'We'll discuss this at home' her eyes told him. He rested his hand on his wristband, not willing to view it anytime soon, so learn about his partner, and glanced ahead of him, where Alfred was sitting and watching the rest of the ceremony.

After the whole ceremony was over, everyone was required to return home and rest, in which the next day everything goes back to normal. When Arthur returned home with his parents, it was now curfew, and so he took one last look of himself in the mirror before stripping out and into his night clothes, delicately hanging up the outfit so it will be returned tomorrow. He wishes he could keep the outfit; that he could get another compliment from Alfred, but it was useless to wish. He shouldn't be thinking this, it was wrong to think this about someone other then your pair, especially about another _man._ But he started to wonder, to wonder about if he wanted to like someone other than his pair. His pair was just another blonde girly, in which he found out he has no attraction to, and he felt like he wanted someone else. He wanted Alfred.

He might of just went against everything he is known for.


End file.
